Lady Tigers suffer another difficult split

For the second straight time, the No. 8-ranked Cowley College softball team won the first game of its doubleheader before falling short in its attempt to sweep the two games. This time the Lady Tigers run-ruled Northern Oklahoma College 16-7 in game one, but lost the second game 6-4 in eight innings Tuesday in Arkansas City.

“It was very disappointing, I felt it was a doubleheader we should have won,” Cowley head coach Ed Hargrove said.

In game one, Cowley scored five runs in the first inning. Whitney Foust hit a two-run homer in the inning and the Lady Tigers had six hits and sent 11 batters to the plate.

The Lady Mavericks rallied to tie the game by scoring five runs in the top of the second inning. Nikki Kramer’s three-run double provided the big blow in the inning.

Although NOC had four hits in the inning, an error to start the inning led to all of the runs being unearned against Cowley starting pitcher Heather Davis.

Following the five-run second for the Lady Mavericks, Cowley scored seven unanswered runs to lead 12-5. Sarah Smith’s two-run homer in the bottom of the fourth inning highlighted the scoring.

After NOC scratched across a pair of runs in the top of the sixth to cut the Lady Tigers’ lead to 12-7, Cowley ended the game with four runs in the bottom half of the inning. Danielle Saylor-Perkins’ two-run homer finished off the 16-7 win.

Cowley had 14 hits as five starters had at least two hits in the win. Davis allowed eight hits and two earned runs in six innings as she improved to 2-0 on the season.

In the nightcap, Cowley rallied from a 4-1 deficit in its final at bat to force extra innings.

Down to its final three outs, the Lady Tigers got a two-run homer from Breayle Tackett, her second of the season, and a mammoth home run from Kashilia Young to tie the game at 4-4.

However, NOC would score two runs off Jacey Juden (0-2) in the top of the eighth inning and Cowley would strand runners at first and third to end the game.

Juden allowed 12 hits and six runs in eight innings pitched, while Cowley managed just five hits in the loss.

Cowley, which is 2-2 on the season, has rescheduled its non-league home doubleheader against Independence on Thursday to next Tuesday at 2 p.m.. Cowley has also added a pair of games at Fort Scott on Thursday, Feb. 28. The Lady Tigers will play Fort Scott at 1 p.m. and Allen County at 2:45 p.m.

Pictured is Sarah Smith